Revelation 20:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The statement, "They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city," does not mean that they came or will come to one place.

It is not as though the camp of the saints and the beloved city will then be located in some single place. The reference is to the Church of Christ spread throughout the earth.

Wherever she will be at that time, and she will be among all nations, which is signified by the breadth of the earth, there also will be the camp of the saints. There also will be His city beloved by God.

There all her enemies, since they too will be with her among all nations, will surround her with their cruel persecution. That is, they will oppress, trouble, and press her into distress by grievous assaults.

For her part, she will not abandon her militant state, because she is called by the name of a camp.

Led by the devil and his demons, they will go out from their places over the whole earth like wild beasts from caves. They will seek to take captive and destroy the camp of the saints, that is, the Church of Christ, founded and established at the four ends of the world.

They will not know that, according to the word of the Psalmist, not one angel but many will encamp around those who fear God (Ps 33:8).

At the same time they will also wish to seize and take captive the new Jerusalem, the city beloved by God, from which the divine law was spread through the apostles over all the earth (Lk 24:47).

"And they went up on the height of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints." Sinners exalted in pride went up to the height, but earthly height held them fast.

They are wise in nothing heavenly and fear no heavenly power. "They surrounded the camp of the saints," that is, they wished to exist in the company of the saints.

But the prophecy was fulfilled upon them which says: "In the evening they return; they hunger like dogs, and go around the city" (Ps 59:6). Here John calls that city beloved, saying: "They surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city."

The devil and his people went out on the breadth of the earth, that is, they reached the arrogance of pride. "And they surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city," that is, the Church.

This is what he said above about those gathered at Armageddon (cf. Rev 16:16). For they will not be able to gather from the four corners of the earth into one city.

Rather, in the four corners themselves, each nation will gather to besiege the holy city, that is, to persecute the Church.

"And fire came down from heaven to the earth," that is, from the Church, "and devoured them." Fire is understood here in two senses.

Either through the fire of the Holy Spirit they believe in Christ and are spiritually devoured by the Church, that is, incorporated into the Church. Or they are devoured by the fire of their own sins and perish.

"And they surrounded the beloved city," that is, the Church. Yet the fire descending from heaven will destroy them all.

When retribution finally comes, the author of evil, Satan, together with the devil and the antichrist, will be cast into the lake of fire, that is, Gehenna.

Let the reader know that this book of Revelation above presented three to us. The first is the dragon, the author of evil, appearing in heaven.

The second is the beast coming up from the sea, whom we consider second after Satan, yet surpassing the other demons. The third is the antichrist, who is also called the false prophet (cf. Rev 12:3; 13:1, 11).

A little earlier it was said of the second, the devil, and of the antichrist, that both were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone (Rev 19:20).

After the term appointed by God for the reign of the devil on earth has elapsed, before the end of the visible world, Satan will be released from his bonds. He will rise up for the last and decisive battle against Christ and His Church.

Although this last battle is described here briefly, time in the prophecies is used chiefly in an indefinite sense. Therefore one may suppose that this battle will embrace a considerable span of time.

Besides this, it is evident that the prophecy speaks of the last times of the world. From the Gospel we know that before the end of the world there will be wars, civil strife, and terrible changes in nature.

That is, the enemies of Christ will spread over the earth. In general, persecution of His Church begins throughout the whole universe. The beloved city is the Church of Christ, and the camp of the saints is the chosen and faithful Christians.

In this Revelation we continuously behold the true Church. And again, after the seer depicts the first resurrection, he calls her "the camp of the saints and the beloved city."